1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to simulated sea foods packaged in hermetically sealed containers and a process for producing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
"Kamaboko" (fish cake) which is a simulated sea food is one of traditional foods which has been utilized frequently in Japan from olden times and is also at present produced and sold on a large scale. To describe briefly the process for production of this kamaboko presently practiced: first the head and internal organs are removed from fish of white meat such as Alaska pollack, which step is followed further by removal of skin and bones by means of a machine to separate fish meat; the fish meat is further washed with a large amount of water, excessive water then being removed, and anti-denaturants such as sorbitol or polyphosphate are added to the washed minced meat, which is then frozen to provide frozen minced meat (called frozen "surimi"). The procedures up to this step are conducted on factory ships on the high seas, and the surimi is then transferred to factories on land. After thawing, the surimi is ground and mixed together with salt, sugar, seasonings, and other additives by means of a food cutter, and the like. The resultant kneaded meat is molded into round rods or shaped by piling on a thin wood slab in a certain quantity and then subjected to steaming and cooling to provide the final product. When it is produced from start to finish on land, the above freezing and thawing steps are unnecessary.
The food products thus obtained by steaming fish meat ground with salt and seasonings are generally called "neriseihin", and kamaboko is a typical example of such neriseihin. The name of kamaboko is applicable to almost all products of neriseihin except for fish meat hams and fish meat sausages, and it refers to elastic and white products which can be found in almost all markets in Japan.
The kamaboko of the prior art has been formed in shapes attached to slabs or in shapes of round rods as rolled with straws. However, in recent years, in place of the kamaboko with such shapes, shredded kamaboko or fibrous food products from fish prepared by sheafing fibrous kamaboko, obtained by formation of kneaded meat into fibers by extrusion through a nozzle, into shapes like simulated scallops, or crab meats have been palatably appreciated and produced in large amounts. Such fibrous food products from fish, like conventional kamaboko of the prior art, are held constantly at low temperatures at the stages of both distribution and consumption. For this reason, the scope of area for distribution has been limited, and it has been difficult to permit normal temperature distribution by exporting to foreign countries, carrying for mountain climbing, or transporting on expeditions and other long-period trips.
For the purpose of expanding the distribution area for kamaboko foods of the prior art and expecting the growth thereof in industries, attempts have been made to package them in cans. However, because of a large number of problems to be solved technically, there has been no commercially success in this technique. One problem resides in the heating to a high temperature during manufacturing of canned foods, which weakens the mouthfeel and the texture characteristic of kamaboko, that is, impairs the so called resilient texture ("ashi") of kamaboko, only to give a soft mouthfeel similar to "tofu" (soy bean curd). The second problem is the formation of brown-colored substances through the reaction of sugars and amino acids in kamaboko components during heating at a high temperature, whereby a favorable white color cannot be obtained. As the third problem, because of the heating at a high temperature under hermetically sealed condition in metallic cans, stuffy odors similar to those of sulfur type compounds derived from the starting materials of minced fish meat are generated to damage markedly the taste and flavor of the product, to produce a taste and flavor which are different from those of ordinary kamaboko.
These problems are entirely the same also in case of fibrous food products from fish.
Furthermore, when fibrous food products from fish required to be colored for simulating crabs or shrimps are to be canned, in addition to the problems as mentioned above, there is also encountered the problem of decolorization or discoloration of the red pigment caused by heating of the canned product to a high temperature or the problem of color flowing, that is, oozing or flowing of the color outside of the colored portion. Another problem of denaturation of the contents caused by such pigments also adds to the difficulty encountered under the present situation, whereby solution of these problems is further delayed.